Hi Rosie, I would start by getting rid of all the existing ornaments. I would then put two pictures in frames on the top two shelves. I would lean them back against the wall rather than use a stand. I would then add an ornament either side. Perhaps something glass or mirrored to create some light and interest. I would then buy a couple or lovely big log baskets and put them either side of the log burner make more of a feature of it. This will then draw the eye to the log burner rather than the fireplace. Hope this helps!

My partner disguised an ugly fire by making an MDF 'cupboard' with a gap at the bottom, using 2 cm x 4 cm wood and MDF panels readily available from DIY stores, some of which will cut it to size for you. He is not skilled at DIY but made a reasonable job of it and I painted it afterwards. There are a variety of decorative panels, e.g. trellis or other cut out designs, so it doesn't have to be plain or expensive. The other option is to save a specific search on ebay or check on Gumtree. Good luck!

A glazed door is fine. It’s possible if you ever built a loft extension you might have to revisit this decision.

I am just going to paint the chimney breast & chamber